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Why Muffins?
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I love making muffins. The ingredients are always in my kitchen, the cleanup is easy (cupcake liners – I know, not the most earth friendly, but I use a more biodegradable brand), and the product is delicious, filling, and healthy! My kids consistently eat them 75% of the time (so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my efforts) and I enjoy them too with my coffee. They also store and heat up easily for busy parents (working or stay at home, there is never enough time).
Basic Muffin Ingredients
I like to use flax eggs (2 tablespoons flaxseed + 2oz water, mix, let sit for 2 minutes) instead of eggs in recipes because they are fun to make and less messy than cracking shells. Also, they pack in a little less fat and contain fiber that eggs don’t have – and we all know how common constipation is in kids these days, so any additional fiber I can add is a bonus! I discovered flaxseed eggs during a brief journey into being vegan.
I half the required flour and replace with oatmeal which also provides extra fiber. It also replaces pure carbs of flour with protein and iron. I have experimented with whole wheat flour, but now I just use regular flour because I want my kids to eat them. Whole wheat tastes like cardboard and decrease my kids’ muffin eating rate to 10%.
I love using mashed up bananas. Staple in our house, so it’s always available. Natural sweetener. And the kids love to help me mash it up with a fork (for the five year old) or a potato masher (for the less coordinated two year old). Usually just one banana is enough, two if the kids are hungry and want to eat bananas too.
The remainder of the ingredients include salt, baking powder, cinnamon (always cinnamon and lot of this!!!!), vanilla extract (big bottle from Costco because I also use this liberally), and almond milk (just to switch up my sources of vitamin D and calcium, and an old habit from my vegan days moment). Optional to include chocolate chips or frozen blueberries.
Basic Muffin Directions
Gather the ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup dry oatmeal
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 banana, mashed
1 egg beat or ~1/3 cup flaxseed egg
1 cup almond milk (or enough for oozy mashed potato consistency
splash of vanilla extract, repeat x4 (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup+ semi sweet chocolate chips or frozen blueberries
Heat up oven to 350F. Place cupcake liners (reusable silicone or unbleached environment-friendly as show here. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Mix ’em all together. Fold in chocolate chips or frozen blueberries. Fill ice cream scoop 3/4 full and empty into the cupcake liner. Repeat x 23. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a rack. Enjoy!
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This is not medical advice. Consult your child’s doctor for proper guidance and recommendations that fit your child’s specific needs.